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Original lyrics
1. Oy, di velt vet vern yinger, Un dos leyben laychter, gringer, Yede kloger vet a zinger Vern, brider bald. Loz dos folk nor vern kliger, Un farygon dem batriger, Im, dem fuks, un oykh dem tiger Fun zayn shaynen veld. 2. Oy, di velt vet vern shayner, Liebe gresser, sine klayner, Tsvishen froyen, tsvichen mener, Tsvishen land un land; Oy, di velt vet vern frayer, Frayer, shaiyner, yinger, nayer, Un in ir di varhayt tayer, Tayer vi a froynd. 3. Oy, di velt vern drayster, Un es vet nit zaiyn a meyster, Nit di kroyn un nit di tayster, Nit dem zelners shverd. Alzo mutik in di reynen, In di reynen, tsu befrayen, Tsu befrayen un banayen Unzer alte velt.
Translated lyrics
(English translation by Don Eisen) 1. Oh, the world will grow younger, And life better, easier, Each who curses will become a singer, All brothers soon. Let people just grow wiser, And drive out the traitor, Him, the fox and as well the tiger, From their beautiful world. 2. Oh, the world will grow more beautiful, Love greater, hatred smaller Between women, between men, Between nation and nation. Oh the world will grow freer, Freer, more beautiful, younger, newer, And in this new world truth will grow dearer, Dear as a friend. 3. Oh, the world will grow bolder, And there will be no masters, Not the crown, not wealth, Not the soldier's sword. So have courage in the ranks, In the ranks, to free, To free and make new Our old world.
Notes
The following notes appear on this page: ht tp://www.yourinter.net/dgeisen/sourcesshayna.htm: The second verse of Di Zukunft is sung to Rose by Lusia in Barbara Lebow's A Shayna Maidel, Act 2, scene 3. The song is most likely one of many spirited songs sung by members of the Bund, a Jewish political association committed to socialism. The "Sotzialistisher Kinder Farbund" (Yiddish for the Socialist Children's Organization), was the youth movement of the Bund and was founded in Poland in 1927. Tsukunft, (Yiddish for "future") became the name adopted by the young adult movement within the Bund. It was certainly sung by youth groups affiliated with The Workman's Circle in the United States. The socialist idealism of the Bund is reflected in the song's lyrics. Whether or not Lusia, Duvid or Hanna were ever associated with the Bund is, of course, pure speculation on fictional characters in a play. However, Lusia tells Rose that Hanna and she had sung the song in the camps. The song, as she sings it for Rose, is a bittersweet memory of her husband, her friend Hanna, and of their idealistic dreams of their youth. The following is my own translation based on the Yiddish version of the song with words by Morris Winchefsky (1856-1932) who used the pen name of Lipe Bentsion Novochovitch. His lyrics, along with the melody of the song, appear in Songs of Generations: New Pearls of Yiddish Song. Edited by Eleanor and Joseph Mlotek. New York: The Workman's Circle. A recording of the song performed by the Workman's Circle Chorus, as well as permission to perform the song, may be obtained by contacting Joseph Mlotek, Education Director, The Workman's Circle, 45 E. 33rd St., New York, NY 10016 (tel. 212- 889-6800).
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